Katrina McLoughlin - 2023 Community Service Award

Meet Katrina McLoughlin, recipient of the 2023 Community Service Award.

This award is presented to an employee or physician who demonstrates outstanding dedication to volunteering in our community.

Katrina is a Physiotherapist and Geriatric Assessor at QCH. In January 2022, while navigating the challenges of providing healthcare to isolated older adults, Katrina began a new hobby to practice self-care that ended up also bringing joy to others. She launched ‘Burbs in Bloom’ – selling home-grown, cut flower bouquets to raise funds for charity. This labour of love literally grew from seeds in her basement to an amazing fundraising campaign.

In 2022, she raised money for a different charity each month – raising over $2,700 for Doctors Without Borders, Black Health Alliance, the Dementia Society, the David Suzuki Foundation, the CHEO foundation, and the Canadian Cancer Society.

In 2023, she raised over $10,000 and donated all proceeds exclusively to the Dementia Society. Katrina has created hundreds of beautiful bouquets, and recently added a raffle donation and tulip bulb sales to her fundraising efforts so others can be inspired to grow in their own gardens.

She has not only raised a significant amount of money for important causes, but she has also spread love, compassion, beauty, and gratitude.

Congratulations, Katrina!